24-3 The Ford and Carter Years

Transcription

1 Name Class Date One American s Story 24-3 The Ford and Carter Years 1. President Ford gave Richard Nixon a full pardon about a month after he left office. What did James Denney, who wrote a letter to Time Magazine, say he disliked most about this action? Justice was not accomplished because Nixon never went to trial. There can be no mercy without justice Ford Travels a Rough Road 2. Problem #1: Watergate: In an effort to get Americans to put Watergate behind them, President Ford declared, Our long national nightmare is over. 3. Ford became Vice President after Spiro Agnew resigned. Ford quipped, I m a Ford not a Lincoln, what do you think he was trying to say about himself? He was acknowledging his limitations. A Ford is a simpler model car than a Lincoln. Lincoln is frequently considered our greatest president. Ford was not putting himself in that category. 4. Problem #2: Troubled Economy -- What was the primary cause for inflation rising from 6% to 10% in 1974? Massive OPEC oil-price increases affected gasoline and heating oil costs 5. How did Ford s Whip Inflation Now program try to deal with the problem of inflation? Was WIN successful? Massive citizen action program called on Americans to cut back on their use of oil and gas but it lacked incentives and the plan fell flat. 6. What was a second policy that Ford used to reduce inflation? A Tight Money Policy Cut government spending and urged the Federal reserve to restrict credit through higher interest rates. 7. This policy triggered the worst economic recession in 40 years. 8. Problem #3: A Hostile Congress What Presidential power did Ford rely upon in dealing with a Democratic Congress that was trying to push its own economic agenda? The veto which he used more than 50 times during his 2 ½ years in office Ford s Foreign Policy 8. Problem #4: Cold War Tensions How did Ford continue Nixon s foreign policies? He relied on Henry Kissinger and pushed on with negotiations with China and the Soviet Union. 9. The Helsinki Accords would be Ford s greatest presidential accomplishment? How did this agreement ease Cold War tensions? It was a series of agreements that promised greater cooperation between Eastern and Western Europe. They were Ford s greatest presidential accomplishment.

2 10. Problem #5: Southeast Asia In 1975 the two-year old ceasefire in Vietnam broke down. How did President Ford and Congress differ over what to do next? Ford asked for $722 million to help South Vietnam. Congress refused. South Vietnam surrendered to the North in Mayaguez incident Cambodia seized a U.S. merchant ship. President Ford responded with military force. How can this incident be seen as both a success and a failure for the president? President Ford responded with a massive show of military force and rescued the 39 crew members, however, 41 U.S. troops died during the rescue. Critics said the mission cost more lives than it saved. 12. Box on page 811 Why did Ford receive the John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage Award in 2001? For his courageous decision to pardon Nixon in the face of public opposition. Carter Enters the White House 12. Box page 812 Briefly describe Carter s experience in the Navy. Electronics, naval tactics, and helped develop nuclear submarines 13. Who challenged President Ford for the Republican nomination? Former California governor Ronald Reagan 14. What experience did Jimmy Carter have in business and politics before becoming president? He was a peanut farmer and former governor of Georgia. 15. Problem #6: Distrust of politicians What promise did Carter make to the American people? I will never tell a lie to the American People Presidential Election -- List three important issues debated by Ford and Carter. Inflation, energy, unemployment 17. How did Carter try to stay in touch with the American people? By holding Roosevelt-like fireside chats on radio and television 18. Troubles with Congress Carter had the advantage of a Democratic Congress, so why did he have problems getting his programs approved? He refused to reach out to Congress and play the insider game of deal making. He relied mainly on a team of advisors from Georgia. He even alienated congressional Democrats. Carter s Domestic Agenda 19. Problem #7: Energy Crisis Carter identified this as the most important issue facing the nation. What did Carter believe was the main cause of this problem? America s reliance on imported oil. 20. What did Carter ask Americans to do with regards to this energy problem? He urged Americans to cut their consumption of oil and gas. He also presented Congress with more than 100 proposals on energy conservation. 21. What were two groups that opposed many of Carter s energy proposals? Representatives from oil and gas producing states and Automobile manufacturers

3 22. National Energy Act: (1) This act placed a tax on gas guzzling cars ; (2) it removed price controls on oil and gas produced in the U.S.; (3) it provided tax credits to stimulate the development of alternative energy. 20. Economic crisis worsens (1979) Inflation rose from 7.6% to 11.3% (4% is usually considered acceptable) largely because violence in the Middle East produced a fuel shortage and OPEC announced another major price hike. 21. Malaise Speech (malaise = general sense of depression) how did this speech hurt Carter s popularity? He complained of a crisis of spirit and gave many Americans the impression that he had given up (and was blaming them) 22. What were two indications that the economic crisis was even worse by 1980? Inflation climbed to nearly 14 percent the highest rate since 1947; U.S. standard of living dropped from 1 st place to 5th 23. Economic Chart page 813 Carter was president from 1976 to During which of these years did inflation rise the most? 1978 (7% to 11%) 24. Changing Economy Since the 1950s manufacturing jobs were declining while service sector jobs were increasing. 25. List three industries that are included in the service sector. Communications, transportation, and retail trade 26. Four countries that began to challenge the U.S. economically during this period were: West Germany, Japan, Taiwan, and Korea 27. During this same period the most hard hit U.S. industry was automobiles. 29. Problem #8: Discrimination (Civil Rights) Carter s administration included more African Americans and women than any before it. 30. Carter appointed Andrew Young as, the first African American to hold that position. 31. Affirmative Action government programs designed to increase the participation of minorities in areas such as business and education. The Supreme Court decision in the case of Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, ruled that the university s affirmative action policies were because they amounted to imposing quotas on people seeking admission.

4 Foreign Policy 32. Problem #9: Human rights issues Carter rejected Nixon and Kissinger s philosophy of realpolitik which allowed the U.S. to negotiate with nations despite their behavior. 33. Carter strove for a foreign policy based on human rights (Declaration of Independence & Bill of Rights) 34. Why did Carter cut off military aid to Argentina and Brazil? They had good relations with the U.S. but they imprisoned or tortured thousands of their own citizens. 35. Two Criticisms of Carter s foreign policy (1) Supporters of containment did not approve of Carter cutting support to Nicaragua a Central American nation that was strongly anti-communist but also was a dictatorship. (2) Other critics said Carter was inconsistent because he supported dictators in South Korea and Philippines. 36. Problem #10: Panama Canal Since 1914 the U.S. had sole ownership of the Canal. Panamanians resented having their nation split in two by a foreign power. 37. President Carter and signed two treaties which gave control of the canal to Panama in Both the Senate, which had to ratify the agreements, and public opinion were divided on the issue. 38. Problem #11: Cold War tensions When Carter took office detente (easing of tensions) had reached a highpoint between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. Carter s firm insistence on human rights led to a breakdown in relations with the Soviet Union. 39. Carter finally signed the agreement with the Soviet Union but it died and was never ratified after the Soviet Union invaded in December of Box on page 815 Soviet Afghanistan War Why did the Soviets send troops to Afghanistan in 1979? 41. Some analysts referred to Afghanistan as the Soviet Union s Vietnam. Why did the Soviets lose even though they had superior weaponry? 42. Who took control of Afghanistan after the Soviets withdrew in 1989? Triumph and Crisis in the Middle East 43. Problem #12: Middle East Tensions Camp David Accords -- Egypt (led by Anwar Sadat) and Israel (led by Menachem Begin) signed the Camp David Accords. What did each side get from this agreement? 44. Inset Map on page 816 what three occupied territories does Israel still control?

5 44. Iran Hostage Crisis Iran s leader, the Shah of Iran, was a U.S. ally and strongly anti-communist, but he was also a dictator. He was eventually overthrown and replaced by the Islamic religious leader the Ayatollah. 45. Iranian revolutionaries were enraged when Carter allowed the Shah into the U.S. for American hostages were taken from the U.S. in Tehran. The revolutionaries wanted Carter to return the to Iran, but he refused. The hostages were held for days and not released until Ronald Reagan had become president.